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Investing in clean, reliable and affordable electricity promotes a high quality of life, supports economic prosperity and helps grow the middle class.

Today, the Honourable Wade MacLauchlan, Premier of Prince Edward Island, and the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Member of Parliament for Cardigan, celebrated the completion of the Northumberland Strait Submarine Transmission System project.

The new submarine transmission system a $142.5-million investment cost-shared by the governments of Canada and Prince Edward Island increases the province's total electric power capacity to 560 megawatts. It will also contribute to ongoing efforts to reduce the use of fossil fuels by building a cleaner electricity supply that contributes to sustainable economic development.

The project comprises two 180-megawatt underwater cables connecting Prince Edward Island to mainland New Brunswick. Replacing decades-old cables that had a total capacity of 200 megawatts of energy, the cables were officially "plugged in" during today's energization ceremony.

Quotes

"The Government of Canada is proud to support this historic infrastructure project which will foster economic growth and strengthen the middle class by creating jobs and reducing energy costs for all Islanders. We continue to invest in projects to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels in communities across the country to build a low-carbon economy and sustainable future."The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, and Member of Parliament for Cardigan, on behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

"Providing reliable, affordable, and increasingly renewable energy is essential to helping our province stay competitive across the country and around the world. This new electricity connection will lower energy costs for residents and businesses, create jobs, and grow our economy so that we can continue to increase prosperity for all Islanders."The Honourable Wade MacLauchlan, Premier of Prince Edward Island

"This Northumberland Strait Submarine Transmission System project is the largest project in our company's history and we are proud of the world-class installation completed by our project team at Maritime Electric. The two new submarine cables will enhance the reliability of electricity supply for Islanders today and well into the future."John Gaudet, CEO, Maritime Electric

Quick facts

The submarine transmission system spans 17 kilometres from Cape Tormentine, New Brunswick, to Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island and supplies approximately 75% of the Island's electricity.

The project has been Prince Edward Island's top infrastructure priority and represents the largest infrastructure project the province has undertaken since the construction of the Confederation Bridge.

The Government of Canada's support for this project builds on the commitment made in July 2016 to develop an Atlantic Growth Strategy that includes provisions for key infrastructure projects to support long-term growth and help the region capitalize on emerging opportunities.

The Government of Canada contributed up to $68.9 million to this project under the Green Infrastructure Fund and the Province of Prince Edward Island contributed up to $73.6 million.

The Government of Canada will invest more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities.

$21.9 billion of this funding will support green infrastructure projects, including $5 billion that will be available for investment through the Canada